Return Of The Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1170

Thud. Thud.

Slowly leaving the Tianwu Alliance’s manor, Beopjeong looked up at the sky.

He had hoped to see the moon, but it was hidden behind the clouds.

Beopjeong sighed, disappointed. He shook his head.

‘But the clouds will drift away eventually.’

Clouds can be thick, but they can’t hide the moon forever. If you wait, the moon will appear again. And after night, the sun always rises. That’s how the world works, right?

“Venerable Abbot.”

Jongri-hyung spoke, sounding admiring.

“I’m really impressed by your wisdom, Venerable Abbot.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, Venerable Abbot. I never imagined you would make such a proposal to the Tianwu Alliance. Even if it doesn’t actually happen, who could refuse an offer from the Nine Great Sects that grants them authority equal to that of Shaolin?”

“It will happen.”

“Yes. Actually… Yes? What did you say?”

Beopjeong answered calmly.

“There is not a single lie in what I said. Every proposal I made will be fulfilled.”

“Ve, Venerable Abbot. Hwasan…”

“Hwasan is entitled to it. They have already proven their worth.”

“…”

“And…”

Beopjeong slowly shook his head.

“This should have happened a long time ago. We know that, don’t we?”

“…But Venerable Abbot, that’s just a matter of the previous generation.”

“I, too, have been using that excuse to avoid responsibility. But looking back now, it was a pathetic excuse. It makes me blush with shame.”

“…”

Jongri-hyung stared at Beopjeong, speechless. Beopjeong smiled gently.

“If we wanted to completely separate the past from the present, we should have given up the glory from our predecessors. It’s shameless to not take responsibility for what they did, yet enjoy the rights as the head of the Nine Great Sects.”

“We, well, that’s true, but…”

“We will not only fulfill all the proposals made to Hwasan, but also restore their lost honor. We must speak of what they did for the world in the past.”

“…Then why didn’t you say that inside?”

“That’s not something to use as a condition. It’s embarrassing to speak of what should be done as if it were a favor.”

Jongri-hyung looked at Beopjeong, not understanding.

“But Venerable Abbot, there will be a lot of opposition.”

“That’s not the case. If Hwasan and Shaolin agree, no other sect among the Nine Great Sects will easily object. Wudang is not as influential as before, and Jongnam… they have become less important because they have stayed away from the world for so long.”

“…”

“The other sects have nothing to lose, so there’s no reason for them to make Hwasan angry. Hwasan is filling the void left by Hainan and replacing Wudang, which has lost its justification.”

“…Depending on how you look at it, that might be the case.”

Jongri-hyung still doubted things would go as easily as Beopjeong said, but he didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but it was difficult to do so.

Beopjeong had never been easy to deal with, but the current Beopjeong felt different.

Perhaps only a few people in the world could easily speak their mind in front of the current Beopjeong.

“So, you’re really going to…”

“We must.”

Beopjeong nodded quietly.

“It’s not to take away from them, but to harmonize. Hwasan has proven itself worthy of leading the sects by creating the Tianwu Alliance. If we don’t treat such a sect well, it will only cause more problems.”

“…”

“Shouldn’t we join forces to stop them? Pride and rights are insignificant compared to that.”

“…The Venerable Abbot’s words are correct.”

Jongri-hyung nodded.

They had nothing to lose. It was annoying that Hwasan was being treated better than they deserved, but…

‘There’s no way to deny their achievements.’

In the end, everyone would agree.

“I think I misunderstood the Venerable Abbot a little.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Venerable Abbot. To be honest… I thought you were hostile to Hwasan because you were afraid Shaolin’s position would be threatened.”

“Shaolin, Shaolin, you say…”

Beopjeong shook his head.

“Shaolin is where I belong, but Shaolin itself cannot be the goal. Shaolin is just a temple. A temple only needs to spread Buddhist teachings and save people.”

“I am ignorant and don’t understand those words.”

“What meaning would Shaolin have if the Jianghu were to perish? Everything will eventually return to dust.”

“…”

Jongri-hyung closed his mouth, still puzzled.

“In any case, it was an amazing plan. It will be difficult for them to reject this proposal. Who but the Venerable Abbot could have come up with such an idea?”

“Amazing, you say…”

Beopjeong shook his head again.

“That’s not it, Sect Leader.”

“Yes?”

“What’s amazing is not me, but Hwasan.”

“…Aren’t you being too humble?”

“That’s not the case. Think about it. If Hwasan wasn’t the leader of the Tianwu Alliance, would I have been able to make such a proposal?”

“That’s…”

Beopjeong laughed.

“It’s impossible. Which sect would create a force like the Nine Great Sects, surpassing the Five Great Families, and then give up that position because of ideals of righteousness and cooperation?”

Jongri-hyung nodded.

If Jongri-hyung were in Hyun Jong’s position, would he have listened to Beopjeong’s proposal? Not a chance. He would have dismissed it and left immediately.

“Only because it is Hwasan are they listening to me. Only because it is Hwasan are they considering my proposal. That’s why what’s amazing is not me, but Hwasan, which made it possible for me to say these words.”

Beopjeong quietly chanted a Buddhist prayer.

“It’s something I already knew. It’s a fact I already knew. Yet, I was blinded by arrogance and greed, and failed to see them properly… All of this is my fault.”

“How could that be? Everyone knows the Venerable Abbot has been working for the sake of the world.”

“If the direction is wrong, everything is wrong.”

Beopjeong muttered and looked up at the sky again.

“It’s not too late yet, so we can fix it. The fact that even that correction has to rely on their kindness is embarrassing.”

A sigh escaped from Beopjeong’s lips.

As he had said to Jongri-hyung, if it were another sect, they wouldn’t have even listened to Beopjeong’s words.

Even Beopjeong from yesterday would have openly scorned Hyun Jong and ordered him to leave if he had come and told a similar story.

He had come prepared to be insulted, thinking it was all his fault, but instead of insulting him, they took his words seriously and worried about them.

‘It’s bitter.’

He had done what he had to do. But the fact that what he had to do was so bitter was due to their attitude.

“Venerable Abbot. They will accept the proposal, won’t they?”

“They probably will.”

Beopjeong’s head nodded slowly.

“No, they must. Otherwise, a real crisis will come.”

The Four Evil Sects are not everything.

The Venerable Abbot now believes that the Demonic Sect will return.

He had acknowledged that Chung Myung was superior to him, so there was no reason not to believe what he said.

Even if their positions were different, he shouldn’t laugh at the Hwasan Sword Saint for worrying about things that wouldn’t happen.

“Um… But perhaps… Venerable Abbot.”

“What is it?”

Jongri-hyung cautiously watched Beopjeong’s expression and spoke.

“If… although it’s unlikely, if they were to reject the Venerable Abbot’s proposal… What would you do then?”

“That won’t happen.”

“But there’s always a small chance, isn’t there?”

A sigh escaped from Beopjeong’s lips.

“Then I would have misjudged them. Or they are too focused on small things to see the big picture.”

“…”

“But I believe that won’t happen. Their hearts for the sake of the world are genuine. There is no room for doubt. The head of Hwasan, Real Person Hyun Jong, and the Hwasan Sword Saint are all excellent people.”

Jongri-hyung thought for a moment and spoke cautiously.

“I still think you overestimate them.”

“I can only hope that’s not the case.”

Beopjeong turned his head and looked at the quiet manor.

‘Now it’s your turn to worry.’

It would probably be a difficult decision.

They were also human. It wouldn’t be easy to tear down the Tianwu Alliance that they had worked so hard to build.

The Tianwu Alliance contained their ideals. Giving up those ideals would probably be more painful than Beopjeong giving up his own pride.

It was a request that was hard to make of anyone.

But even so, Beopjeong hoped they would make the right choice.

‘The world must not be divided.’

Otherwise, they would never be able to withstand the Four Evil Sects and the Demonic Sect.

And… Beopjeong was certain.

If they didn’t accept this proposal, they would eventually pay the price for their actions.

And that would be a huge loss for the Jianghu, which had to stop the Four Evil Sects and the Demonic Sect.

Chung Myung had the power and strategies to shake the world, and Beopjeong had the ability to use Chung Myung’s skills.

Even if Chung Myung came up with a plan, he couldn’t control Jongnam or Wudang as he pleased. But Beopjeong was the one who had the power to make those sects follow Chung Myung’s orders.

If Chung Myung and Hwasan were at the front, and Beopjeong and Shaolin supported them from behind, and if all the righteous sects followed them, what would there be to fear from the Four Evil Sects or the Demonic Sect?

‘The best choice for you is to join hands with me. Don’t forget that your good fortune won’t last forever, Hwasan Sword Saint.’

Beopjeong closed his eyes.

A low Buddhist prayer escaped his lips.

Beopjeong opened his eyes and looked at the sky again, but the moon was still hidden.

“The weather is cloudy.”

“They say it will rain for a few days.”

“…I see. It seems so. But after those few days, won’t the moon rise again?”

Beopjeong glanced at the manor, as if with lingering feelings, and slowly moved his feet.

He had done all he could, so now he just had to wait. It would be a wait where one day felt like a year.

“Let’s go. There will be many things to do.”

“Yes, Venerable Abbot.”

The two men walked away.